One of the most important tips we can impart for boosting uptake and activity in your Community is: name your Spaces in the style that a student might name and refer to them - don't name them in a way that mirrors university departments.
The most engaging Community Spaces share one common thread: they sound like something a real student would say. This guide covers how to name Spaces, write descriptions that are not only read by your students but set clear and satisfying expectations, and choose cover imagery that really reflects the tone of the Space and your institution.
Naming your Spaces
The Space name is the first thing a student sees. If it reads like an internal department heading, you're already at risk of losing their interest. The names that drive the most engagement feel like an invitation from a peer, rather than a signpost in a corridor.
Use the student's voice, not your institution's.
Think about how a second-year student would describe this Space to a friend. That's your name.
Embrace the anxiety.
Your incoming students might be nervous. Naming a Space after a feeling they're already having ("I have no idea what I'm doing") is instantly validating, it signals that others are in the same boat.
Reflect your institution's personality.
Warmer, more informal names work widely, but adjust the tone to match your brand. A conservatoire and a large city university can both be human, just differently.
Don't sacrifice discoverability.
The name should still make the topic clear at a glance. Cryptic is not the goal, we still want students to be able to find the conversations that matter to them! "Where am I going to live?" communicates housing instantly.
Some examples:
These ideas might not be for everyone! But this gives you a sense of what we mean when we talk about naming like a student.
Institutional + formal: | Approachable + relatable: |
Student Support Resources and guidance for students | 🥲 I have no idea what I'm doing That's OK, neither did we at first. Ask our students anything, with zero judgement. |
Accommodation Enquiries Student housing options and guidance | 🏡 Where am I going to live? Halls, private housing, pros, cons - chat about locations, moving in, and whether you're allowed to put up a poster of Jacob Elordi on your wall. |
International Student Information Visa, arrival and settling in guidance | 🛩️ Moving to a new country From weather to language to finding your new favourite coffee shop - come and say hi. |
Space descriptions
You have 200 characters to play with! That's roughly two short sentences. You should use your Space descriptions to extend the tone of the name of that Space, not to repeat it.
Lead with what the student gets, not what the Space contains.
"Ask our students anything" beats "Information hub".
Address the student directly.
Use "you" and "we". It reinforces the peer-to-peer dynamic that makes Community so powerful.
Use your description characters wisely.
After a punchy name, the description earns trust and adds context. "Zero judgement", for example, does a lot of work in very few characters.
Space cover imagery
Your cover image is doing the job of a thumbnail to promote your Space and put it into context. Below, you'll find the approaches that consistently outperform generic stock photography.
Real students, real settings
We would recommend candid photos from your own campus if possible, rather than polished stock imagery. Inauthenticity is easy to spot and can be jarring; a genuine shot of your library or real students studying together over coffee beats a licensed image.
Bold, simple colour
A flat or gradient background in your brand colours with a minimal icon or single word in the centre reads clearly at thumbnail size. It also keeps Spaces visually distinct from each other at a glance.
Location as signal
For city campuses or internationally recognisable settings; a recognisable skyline, iconic building, or campus landmark builds instant familiarity. This works especially well for international student or campus life Spaces.
Text-led creative
Consider using the Space name itself, or a fragment of it, rendered as a bold typographic image. This echoes the tone set by the name, and it's easy to produce without a design team. We feel this would work well for more conversational names.
Avoid: generic stock people
Photos of students who are clearly not from your institution - overly posed, perfect lighting, no context - could risk undermining trust. If you don't have your own photography to hand, think about using illustration or the above colour or text-led suggestions instead.
Quick-reference checklist
Before you add a new Space, run through this quick checklist:
Does the name sound like something a student would actually say?
Can someone tell what the Space is about from the name alone?
Does the description add something new - not just repeat the name?
Is the description under 200 characters (the dashboard won't let you add the Space if it's over, and does have a character-counter) and written in second person (you, we)?
Does your cover image feel like it came from your institution, not a stock library?
And a bonus question:
Do all your Spaces feel visually and tonally consistent as a set? It's worth logging into your Community to view your Spaces as a student would see them - is the overall look in your Spaces tab cohesive?